{"id":79338,"date":"2025-07-18T10:47:22","date_gmt":"2025-07-18T14:47:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/?p=79338"},"modified":"2025-07-18T10:47:24","modified_gmt":"2025-07-18T14:47:24","slug":"on-connie-francis-whose-powerful-voice-reached-far-and-wide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/on-connie-francis-whose-powerful-voice-reached-far-and-wide\/","title":{"rendered":"On Connie Francis, Whose Powerful Voice Reached Far and Wide"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"Connie
Remembering the late, great and very prolific Connie Francis. (Credit: Wikimedia Commons<\/a>)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

As a child of the 1980s, one might expect me to have spent my youth listening to the likes of Cyndi Lauper, Pat Benatar, Whitney Houston and Madonna. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, I opted for Connie Francis, the internationally-renowned hit-maker<\/a> and record-breaker<\/a> whose voice soared on classics like \u201cWho\u2019s Sorry Now,\u201d her 1958 breakout hit, and \u201cWhere the Boys Are\u201d \u2013 and who passed away this week at age 87.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I didn\u2019t only enjoy her tunes on my mother\u2019s stereo, belting along in the safety of home under the bright-peach glow of mom\u2019s bedroom vanity lights. My earliest public performances saw me singing Francis\u2019 songs to audiences of perplexed fellow children and bemused adults. The Girl Scouts talent show where I sang \u201cStupid Cupid\u201d in a homemade poodle skirt; the in-school performance of \u201cLipstick On Your Collar\u201d to a lunchroom packed with elementary school kids, an age group whose tendency toward mockery was eclipsed by the pure fun of the song itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s the sort of icon Francis was. One who reached through time with a sharp musical mind, a soulful tone, and an emotional clarity that made her deeply human \u2013 and deeply relatable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And while she may not be a modern-day household name in the way that, say, Taylor Swift<\/a> and Beyonc\u00e9<\/a> are, as the first woman artist ever to top the Billboard Hot 100, she certainly paved the way for them to follow in her footsteps. In fact, her songs could frequently<\/em> be found on and atop the charts, both in the U.S. and abroad.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\n
\n

Related<\/h4>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n \"\"\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n
\n

\n \n The Compelling, Complex and Wholly Incomparable Tina Turner\n <\/a>\n <\/h3>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n\n

That said, Francis did find her way to the center of several modern-era moments. Fans of the hit animated show \u201cFuturama\u201d will recognize her voice on \u201cI Will Wait For You,\u201d the song scoring one of the show\u2019s most memorable, most crushing moments. (I won\u2019t spoil it, but it is indeed a gut punch, in no small part because of her crooning contribution.) And just recently, her hit song \u201cPretty Little Baby became a TikTok sensation<\/a> when users began setting videos of cute animals to it. Prominent media personality and entrepreneur Kylie Jenner<\/a> even lip synced to the classic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But her catalog extends well beyond those flashier moments. A prolific and versatile musician, Francis\u2019 discography spans both genres and language barriers, as she recorded everything from 50s rock tracks, ballads and torch songs to jazz tunes, waltzes and Broadway standards, and did so in English, German, Italian and numerous other languagess.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All of that said, not much came easy to Francis. Her very early musical start, when she was known as Concetta Franconero, and her natural abilities did not combine to create immediate superstardom \u2013 in fact, her earliest commercial releases were flops. But then, her rendition of \u201cWho\u2019s Sorry Now,\u201d a cover of a 1923 tune, was featured on Dick Clark\u2019s then-widely-popular music and dance show, \u201cAmerican Bandstand.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After that, from the late 1950s to the mid-1960s, Francis reigned. Not only was she the first woman to top the charts, she was the first woman to do so several times over. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, the rise of girl groups such as the Supremes, the Ronettes and the Chiffons, as well as individuals like Brenda Lee and Lesley Gore, saw Francis fading toward the background of the American music landscape at the time. But she did continue to record and perform \u2013 until a series of tragedies took a huge toll on her career and well-being for the better part of a decade.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\n
\n

Related<\/h4>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n \"\"\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n
\n

\n \n Remembering Sin\u00e9ad O’Connor, Gifted Musician and Strident Activist\n <\/a>\n <\/h3>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n\n

She suffered a brutal sexual assault in which she nearly lost her life in November 1974 \u2013 a case that made headlines<\/a>. Years of depressed seclusion followed the attack, until she at last ventured back into music \u2013 only to be robbed of her voice for three years following a nasal surgery performed in 1978. Her brother was assassinated for informing on Mafia members in 1981, just as she was, at last, recovering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rather than push her back into hiding, that last loss made her “angry, and angry is often a good catalyst,\u201d she told The Mercury News<\/a> in a 2010 interview. Seeking catharsis, she turned to music, and began recording and performing again. However, a misdiagnosis of manic depression would stall her aspirations once more, as she was committed to psychiatric hospitals and prescribed a litany of pills that \u201cmade me a zombie,\u201d she said when speaking with The Village Voice<\/a> about that experience in 2011.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amid the fame, and the tumult, Francis was also married, then divorced, four times over, before entering into a long-term relationship with record exec Tony Ferretti (until his death in 2022).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through it all, Francis continued to use her voice \u2013 to sing, and to speak out, telling her story in a New York Times best-selling autobiography, \u201cWho’s Sorry Now?,\u201d and serving as the spokesperson for Mental Health America’s trauma campaign, among other causes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For her work, in all its forms, she\u2019s remembered fondly \u2013 by fans and luminaries alike. Performer Pat Boone called her<\/a> \u201cone of the sweetest, most beautiful and best-singing girls I\u2019ve ever known, and I\u2019ve known quite a few.\u201d Singer Deanna Martin acknowledged<\/a> her \u201cbroken heart\u201d at Francis\u2019 death, thanking her for \u201ca lifetime of music and laughter.\u201d Actor Mario Cantone summed her up<\/a> as \u201cthe greatest.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And songwriter Neil Sedaka, who co-wrote \u201cStupid Cupid\u201d and \u201cWhere the Boys Are,\u201d told The New York Times<\/a> that \u201cwhat struck me was the purity of the voice, the emotion, the perfect pitch and intonation. It was clear, concise, beautiful. When she sang ballads, they just soared.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think that\u2019s what resonated with me in those tender, explorative childhood years, when I found my own voice and presence through hers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because that’s what the real greats, the truly timeless ones, tap into \u2013 potent yet utterly relatable emotion. Something in my developing heart and mind recognized how special Francis’ vulnerability was, and her ability to channel it into full, heart-forward singing. She just poured so much into every note. And reflecting upon the pain she endured \u2013 and how she found her way back to her voice time and time again \u2013 I\u2019m struck even more by her enduring bravery and boundless creativity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I wish I could have somehow thanked her for paving the way to my own love of performing, which endures to this very day in the form of a love-filled career in music. But I’m gladdened by the idea that she spent her final months watching new generations find joy and delight, as I did, in her work \u2013 in the very sound of her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On one of her many songs, Francis sang out: \u201cSomeday, baby\u2026 someday, darlin’… you’re gonna miss me.\u201d How right she was. ◼️<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\n
\n

Related<\/h4>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n \"Sally\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n
\n

\n \n Dr. Sally Ride, the Queer Woman Icon Who Was Never Allowed to Be One\n <\/a>\n <\/h3>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Connie Francis was an internationally loved musician who made Billboard Hot 100 history. She was a survivor, advocate and author. And she touched generations of people \u2013 myself included.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":79339,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"autoblue_enabled":true,"autoblue_custom_message":"Remembering the late, great and very prolific Connie Francis:","autoblue_shares":[{"did":"did:plc:l2n6ydtigm3gtra4vb4rfl7f","date":"2025-07-18T14:47:30+00:00","uri":"at:\/\/did:plc:l2n6ydtigm3gtra4vb4rfl7f\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3luaoucpei52l","response":"{\"uri\":\"at:\/\/did:plc:l2n6ydtigm3gtra4vb4rfl7f\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3luaoucpei52l\",\"cid\":\"bafyreiedcxqxueflzfskfzoefn5av7jyxgx7cu4jarde7mm7hbwperobsm\",\"commit\":{\"cid\":\"bafyreifw7srp2hxaqfvuor7myzsm7tm4ybrbi4wfa5pqb2s7ckadpiernu\",\"rev\":\"3luaoucpt4v2l\"},\"validationStatus\":\"valid\"}"}],"autoblue_post_url":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[187],"tags":[21411,20901,19645,19627],"class_list":["post-79338","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","tag-mental-health-advocacy","tag-music-industry","tag-opinion","tag-resilience"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nRemembering Record-Breaking Singer, Performer Connie Francis<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Connie Francis was an internationally loved singer who made history. She was a survivor. And, she touched generations \u2013 myself included.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/on-connie-francis-whose-powerful-voice-reached-far-and-wide\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"On Connie Francis, Whose Powerful Voice Reached Far and Wide\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Connie Francis was an internationally loved musician who made Billboard Hot 100 history. She was a survivor, advocate and author. And she touched generations of people \u2013 myself included.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/on-connie-francis-whose-powerful-voice-reached-far-and-wide\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Story Exchange\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TheStoryExchange\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-07-18T14:47:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-07-18T14:47:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Connie-Francis-Obit.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"512\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"432\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Candice Helfand-Rogers\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@TheStoryXchange\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@TheStoryXchange\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Candice Helfand-Rogers\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Remembering Record-Breaking Singer, Performer Connie Francis","description":"Connie Francis was an internationally loved singer who made history. She was a survivor. And, she touched generations \u2013 myself included.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/on-connie-francis-whose-powerful-voice-reached-far-and-wide\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"On Connie Francis, Whose Powerful Voice Reached Far and Wide","og_description":"Connie Francis was an internationally loved musician who made Billboard Hot 100 history. She was a survivor, advocate and author. And she touched generations of people \u2013 myself included.","og_url":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/on-connie-francis-whose-powerful-voice-reached-far-and-wide\/","og_site_name":"The Story Exchange","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TheStoryExchange","article_published_time":"2025-07-18T14:47:22+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-07-18T14:47:24+00:00","og_image":[{"width":512,"height":432,"url":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Connie-Francis-Obit.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Candice Helfand-Rogers","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@TheStoryXchange","twitter_site":"@TheStoryXchange","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Candice Helfand-Rogers","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/on-connie-francis-whose-powerful-voice-reached-far-and-wide\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/on-connie-francis-whose-powerful-voice-reached-far-and-wide\/"},"author":{"name":"Candice Helfand-Rogers","@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/#\/schema\/person\/f5204a83b27f87166174a6de31eaafc9"},"headline":"On Connie Francis, Whose Powerful Voice Reached Far and Wide","datePublished":"2025-07-18T14:47:22+00:00","dateModified":"2025-07-18T14:47:24+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/on-connie-francis-whose-powerful-voice-reached-far-and-wide\/"},"wordCount":1142,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/on-connie-francis-whose-powerful-voice-reached-far-and-wide\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Connie-Francis-Obit.jpeg","keywords":["Mental Health Advocacy","Music Industry","Opinion","resilience"],"articleSection":["Features"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/on-connie-francis-whose-powerful-voice-reached-far-and-wide\/","url":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/on-connie-francis-whose-powerful-voice-reached-far-and-wide\/","name":"Remembering Record-Breaking Singer, Performer Connie Francis","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/on-connie-francis-whose-powerful-voice-reached-far-and-wide\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/on-connie-francis-whose-powerful-voice-reached-far-and-wide\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Connie-Francis-Obit.jpeg","datePublished":"2025-07-18T14:47:22+00:00","dateModified":"2025-07-18T14:47:24+00:00","description":"Connie Francis was an internationally loved singer who made history. She was a survivor. And, she touched generations \u2013 myself included.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/on-connie-francis-whose-powerful-voice-reached-far-and-wide\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/on-connie-francis-whose-powerful-voice-reached-far-and-wide\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/on-connie-francis-whose-powerful-voice-reached-far-and-wide\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Connie-Francis-Obit.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Connie-Francis-Obit.jpeg","width":512,"height":432,"caption":"Remembering the late, great and very prolific Connie Francis. (Credit: Wikimedia Commons)"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/on-connie-francis-whose-powerful-voice-reached-far-and-wide\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"On Connie Francis, Whose Powerful Voice Reached Far and Wide"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/","name":"The Story Exchange","description":"Inspiration and information for women entrepreneurs","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/#organization","name":"The Story Exchange","url":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/cdn1.thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/24161459\/TSE-logo-web-e1525383604615.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/cdn1.thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/24161459\/TSE-logo-web-e1525383604615.png","width":500,"height":180,"caption":"The Story Exchange"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TheStoryExchange","https:\/\/x.com\/TheStoryXchange","https:\/\/instagram.com\/thestoryexchange\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/the-story-exchange","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/StoryExchange"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/#\/schema\/person\/f5204a83b27f87166174a6de31eaafc9","name":"Candice Helfand-Rogers","description":"Candice Helfand-Rogers has worked as a journalist for some of the largest news organizations in the country over the course of her career, including CBS Local News and The Star-Ledger. She earned her B.A. in Journalism & Media Studies at Rutgers University. In her spare time, she enjoys singing with several ensembles in New York City and spending time with her son. Please contact candice@thestoryexchange.org with questions or pitches.","sameAs":["https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/author\/candice-leigh-helfand\/"],"url":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/author\/candice-leigh-helfand\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79338","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/62"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=79338"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79338\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":79346,"href":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79338\/revisions\/79346"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/79339"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=79338"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=79338"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=79338"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}